1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling a sound input path and an apparatus supporting the same. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method for controlling a sound input path for an electronic device and an apparatus supporting the same.
2. Background
A portable terminal is extremely popular due to its various communication functions and a size which is typically small enough to carry. In response to consumer demand, the size of touch screens is projected to increase, and a development of associated hardware and software that may provide various contents, the portable terminal is undergoing a dramatic growth and is becoming more popular than ever.
Meanwhile, an earphone device is provided as an accessory device for the portable terminal. The user of a portable terminal may listen to an audio signal by connecting the earphone device to the portable terminal through the earphone device for private listening, and user sound or an external sound may be input to the portable terminal through a microphone equipped in the earphone.
When mounting a 3.5. mm earphone that is currently used as a standard for the current smart phone, the smart phone uses a logic circuitry that detects a type of the earphone connected thereto in order to determine the sound input device in a state in which the earphone is mounted. In other words, when the earphone is connected to the smart phone, the smart phone detects a type of the earphone by dividing whether the earphone is a microphone-type (4-pole) or non-microphone-type (3-pole), and determines the sound input device as the earphone microphone when the earphone is detected as a microphone type. In addition, with regard to the non-microphone-type earphone, the smartphone may determine the sound input device as being a microphone that is built-in to the smart phone when the earphone is detected as a non-microphone-type.
Likewise, the method for distinguishing the earphone-type utilizes an electrical signal of a microphone terminal (M) section among the section divided by a left side output terminal (L), a right side output terminal (R), a ground terminal (G) of a 3.5 pie earphone, and an earphone microphone terminal (M). When a signal range of the microphone-type earphone is previously fixed at a certain range, and a corresponding electrical signal exists within the fixed signal range, the smartphone determines that the earphone of the microphone-type is mounted, and the earphone-microphone terminal (M) is determined as the sound input device.
In this case, even when the earphone microphone does not operate normally due to a malfunction, there is a problem in that a user-made sound or an external sound cannot be input because the earphone-microphone terminal (M) is activated as the sound input device.
In addition, when a deviation occurs in the electrical signal which is read in the earphone-microphone terminal (M) according to the earphone manufacturer and a circuit design of the smart phone, there is a problem of not being able to distinguish the type of the earphone accurately, and of tuning the signal range for detecting the microphone type according to each model when releasing the smart phone.